


Half-Birthdays

by CJ_fics



Category: Arrow (TV 2012)
Genre: Angst and Humor, F/M, Humor, Mild Angst, birthday surprise, olicity - Freeform, unestablished relationship
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-12-25
Updated: 2014-12-25
Packaged: 2018-03-03 12:20:26
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,132
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2850665
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/CJ_fics/pseuds/CJ_fics
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Felicity throws Oliver a surprise birthday party.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Half-Birthdays

One of the things that Felicity found the most tragic about Oliver (as if being trapped in several versions of hell for five years wasn’t tragic enough, not to mention witnessing both his parents’ self-sacrificing deaths) was that his birthday fell the day after Tommy Merlyn’s death and the anniversary of the Undertaking. She had been mulling over the sadness of it all for a while now. For about a year, when he ‘celebrated’ his birthday with her by bringing that promised bottle of red after the Undertaking and before he left to exile himself in Lian Yu as punishment for his perceived failure, she had been thinking about it.  
  
Felicity being Felicity Smoak, she really had no patience for wallowing. She was a problem solver. A doer. A well of solutions. Oh, she had her wallowing days, when she would allow herself to lament things — her lack of viable romantic prospects beyond drooling over Oliver’s abs while he worked out in the lair, her somewhat sad childhood with a mother who had treated motherhood as a chore, the unfairness of what had happened between Roy and Thea and between Oliver and Thea, the tragedy of Oliver’s birthday. But eventually, ultimately, Felicity Smoak dusted the wallowing dust off of herself, and used her brilliant mental faculties to find ways to solve what she had been lamenting about.  
  
Lack of viable romantic prospects? Consider online dating. Tell friends to set her up for blind dates. Be content with the sight of Oliver’s abs and never, ever, ever hint at the idea of him working out with a shirt.  
  
Somewhat sad childhood and her estranged relationship with her mom? Monitor the internet for news and hospital communications with the search terms “Donna + Smoak”. Give her mother a call once a month to get updates. Don’t take the lack of interest in her daughters life personally. Affirm and reaffirm to yourself that there are different kinds of motherhood. Tell yourself that it could have been worse.  
  
The unfairness of Roy / Thea and Oliver / Thea? Scour the net, federal databases, CCTV cameras for any information about Thea Queen’s whereabouts. Once they find her, then Felicity will devote mental time to ponder about how to fix Thea’s relationship between two of her teammates.  
  
Oliver’s birthday falling the day after his best friend dies, and a major part of Starling City literally crumbling? Throw him a half-year surprise birthday party.  
  
His twenty-ninth birthday happened when they were en route back to Starling City after they dropped Slade Wilson off to his new digs at the A.R.G.U.S. prison in Lian Yu. Once they landed in Starling City, Oliver promptly disappeared. She and Digg suspected he had spent the rest of his birthday at Tommy’s grave (They were right). That’s when she decided that she would organise a surprise birthday party six months after Oliver’s actual birthday to celebrate when he turned twenty-nine and a half.  
  
In her mind, it made sense. It would have been insensitive to throw him a birthday party on the day after Tommy’s death anniversary. It was unreasonable to expect him to be in a celebratory mood on the day after his childhood best friend died. Instead, they would celebrate on October 17. On the day he turned a half-year older. A day far, far away from any kind of tragic day in Oliver Queen’s life.  
  
Two days after his actual birthday, Felicity had sent out invitations to everyone who was part of Oliver’s life. Digg. Roy. Sara. Laurel. She even sent an invitation to Thea Queen’s P.O. Box (Hey, maybe she could solve two problems in one go). It was a paltry list. But Felicity reckoned it was about quality over quantity. On his half-year birthday party, Felicity would make sure that he would celebrate with the people that knew him the most and the ones that he was the most comfortable with.  
  
Digg and Roy immediately agreed, albeit the smirks and the slightly confused head-shaking (mostly from Roy). A month later, she receives word from Sara that she had marked the date and would be in Starling City with bells on. Three weeks after that, Laurel stops her on her way to the grocers to ask if there was anything Felicity needed for her to bring to the party. Felicity asks Laurel to bring dessert and whatever else the other woman felt like.  
  
So it was set. All Felicity needed to do was wait, make sure that Oliver’s schedule was clear that day (which was easy enough since she was still posing as his E.A. after he sweetly begged her to stay with him), hope that Thea responds the invitation positively, and change her mind about the menu and whether or not party games were appropriate for Oliver and his friends. It was good that October 17 this year fell on a Friday. That meant they could go crazy and not worry about having to show up for work the next day.  
  
The only wrinkle in her plans was the night that she and Oliver went out on a date. It did not end well. But it wasn’t the fact that she had taken the brunt of a bomb explosion during dinner, singeing her clothes, her hair and parts of her body. No, it was the conversation that happened after. The one where Oliver tells her that it was bad idea to think that they could be more. The same one where Felicity realises that she and Oliver were as unthinkable as they have ever been — because she was never going to beg him to want to be with her.  
  
She was heartbroken, to say the least. When Oliver asked her out to dinner, after she confirmed that he was asking her out on a date-date and that there were no hidden cameras in the vicinity, she had allowed herself to dream and hope. That Oliver and her would have future together. She allowed herself to admit that whatever it was she had been feeling for Oliver, the same feelings she has tried to ignore, was something akin to love. No, it was love. She just knew that they would be awesome together, and good to and for each other. Their romantic relationship would be built on deep levels of trust, respect and friendship after all. As she prepared for their dinner date, it occurred to her that in a week’s time, she would throw him his surprise half-year birthday party and that there was a good chance that she would be doing that as his girlfriend. She was giddy at the thought for the rest of the night.  
  
Well, up until their restaurant was bombed and Oliver backed away.  
  
She almost cancelled the party, not feeling celebratory at all. She gave herself twenty-four hours to consider it. But eventually, clawed her way out of the hole she had been wallowing in, and realised that whatever happened between her and Oliver, how ever much she was hurting, Oliver was still her friend. More importantly, that it was tragic that his birthday fell on the day after Tommy Merlyn’s death. Her broken heart didn’t negate that original problem. Her disappointment in herself for entertaining the idea of her and Oliver didn’t make her less of a problem solver.  
  
So the party was still on. The only allowance she made for her pride and herself was she sent an invitation to Barry Allen. Maybe his presence won’t make her feel so pathetic. At the very least, no one in the party would ever suspect her of pining for Oliver, if she Barry was there. Also, he knew of Oliver’s secret identity. And he liked Oliver. Oliver liked him as well. _Win-win_.  
  
———————  
On the day of Oliver Queen’s Surprise Half-Year Birthday Party, Felicity sent an SMS to the guests: _Tonight. Be at my place at seven-thirty. Oliver will be there at eight. Bring a gift!_  
  
Diggle was the first to respond. _Yep, with bells on. Lyla’s coming, too._  
  
Felicity was surprised to see that Sara was the next to text back. _In SC now. At Laurel’s. Nyssa’s with me. We’re on again :)_  
  
Roy’s response was pure Roy. _Blondie, you’ve sent reminders every week from the time you sent the first invitation. I KNOW and shut up about it already! Gosh._  
  
Even Laurel SMS-ed back. _Yes, thank you for the reminder. I’m still bringing dessert, right?_

Barry replies, _I won’t be late. Promise!_

Satisfied, Felicity turns her attention back to the QC Board Members who were gathering to discuss the company’s future. Rather, if they were going to let Ray Palmer buy the company out or give Oliver another shot at it.  
  
"What’s that about?" Oliver leans forward to ask her quietly.  
  
"What?"  
  
"Your phone’s been buzzing for the last half-hour," he explains, "Everything OK?"  
  
"Yeah, Roy’s just being annoying," she says. For someone who sucked at lying, Felicity had no problems using Roy being annoying as an excuse for her behaviour. _Maybe it’s because it’s true — Roy is annoying, in general, every day._  
  
Oliver nods, “Let me know, if he’s getting too much for you. I’ll have a word with him.”  
  
"Oliver," she shakes her head at him, "I can handle Roy Harper on my worst day."  
  
Oliver smiles and squeezes her shoulder, then catches himself and abruptly removes his hand from her, his smile disappearing. He turns back to the Board Members with a tight smile.  
  
Felicity pretends not to notice.  
  
—————————  
  
The plan was, after the guests arrive and help her set up, Felicity would call Oliver about some plumbing or electrical emergency that would require him to come to her townhouse and be all macho man.  
  
Given the very recent developments, or lack thereof, between her and Oliver, she had to amend the plans. Digg was going to be the one to call Oliver and ask him to go to Felicity’s place because she was having a plumbing or electrical emergency. Digg was the only one who was privy to what had happened, or not happened, between Oliver and Felicity, so he understood why the plan needed to be adjusted.  
  
"Oliver," Digg says as soon as the other man answers his call.  
  
"Diggle? What’s up?"  
  
"Man, can you go to Felicity’s? Lyla and I have a baby check-up right now, and Felicity just called. There’s a major leak in her kitchen and her house is about to get flooded," Digg says in rush, selling the panicked call.  
  
"What?!?! Is she OK? Did something happen? I’m getting on the bike now," Oliver says before he hangs up.  
  
Digg shakes his head at his friend. _Easy peasy._  
  
Felicity’s phone rings, startling her from her conversation with Sara, “Hello?”  
  
"Felicity, Digg told me what happened. I’m five minutes away. Are you OK?" It’s Oliver, sounding frantic.  
  
Felicity feels a bit guilty to making him go through this. Then she reminds herself that she’s throwing him a surprise half-year birthday party nine days after he kinda-sorta dumps her, and feels better.  
  
"I’m fine, Oliver," she says, deliberately making her voice shake, "Just get here quick. I just realised that I have a fear of pipes bursting!"  
  
"Hold on, I’m there. One minute," he tries to soothe her.  
  
Sara looks at Roy and giggles at quietly as she could. _A fear of pipes bursting? And Oliver believed it? These two were hopeless._  
  
Less than a minute later, a frantic knocking at her door could be heard, “Felicity, open up!”  
  
Digg and Felicity motion for the everyone to hide at the back of the couch. Nyssa and Sara use their League of Assassins training to hide in the curtains. Laurel, Barry and Roy crouch behind the couch, while Digg takes Lyla to kitchen.  
  
"Felicity! I’m knocking your door down in three, two—"  
  
"Don’t, Oliver!" Felicity opens her door to a frantic Oliver.  
  
Oliver walks to her and reaches for her shoulders, pulling her closer, “Tell me you’re OK.”  
  
Felicity almost giggles. When he wasn’t breaking her heart and taking back his offer of a romantic relationship with her out of fear for her safety, Oliver Queen could be such a sweetheart.  
  
Before Felicity could reply, everyone comes out of their hiding places to yell:  
  
"Surprise! Happy Half-Year Birthday, Oliver!"  
  
Barry uses his speed to unfurl the banner that Lyla and Sara had prepared for the party.  
  
Oliver, in surprise, pulls Felicity behind his back, ready to protect her.  
  
That cracks Sara, Nyssa and Roy up.  
  
"Dude, it’s a surprise birthday party! No one’s attacking you," Roy says between guffaws.  
  
"Wha— It’s not my birthday," Oliver objects, pulling Felicity closer to his back with the hand clutching hers.  
  
"It’s your half-year birthday today, Oliver. You’re twenty-nine and a half," Felicity smiles, squeezing his hand, "Surprise!"

**Author's Note:**

> This was based on a fic prompt.
> 
> Original post here: http://outoftheclosetshipper.tumblr.com/post/95656823208/could-you-do-a-fic-where-felicity-throws-oliver-a


End file.
